Three arrested for snatching rifle from CRPF jawan in J&K

Srinagar: Three persons, part of a six-member module allegedly involved in a weapon snatching incident, were arrested in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today.

The module was busted following investigation into the snatching of service rifle of a CRPF jawan at Tral Bus stand, 35 kms from here, on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.

On October 9, some unidentified persons attacked a CRPF constable in Tral and decamped with his service rifle after injuring him seriously.

"On this Police Station Tral registered a case and manhunt was launched to nab the culprits," the spokesman said, adding "after receiving specific information, police detained Nazir Ahmad Rather alias Afridi of Dadsara village of Tral in connection with this incident.

"During the questioning, he revealed that he alongwith five others had planned and executed the weapon snatching at Tral Town," the spokesman said.

He said Rather also revealed that the same group was behind the attack on police guard at Qoial village of Pulwama yesterday.

Suspected militants tried to snatch weapons of the police guards manning a picket set up for protection of a minority community in the village but the alert cops opened fire to foil the militants attempt.

An INSAS rifle, snatched from the CRPF jawan at Tral, was left behind by the fleeing attackers which was seized by police during the incident.
The spokesman said other associates of Rather who are involved in these incidents are Rafiq Ahmad Bhat alias "Dada" of Astan-Mohallah Tral, Shakoor Ahmad Bhat of Quoil, Aqib Daboo of Wav Masjid, Tral, Ubaid alias "Molvi" of Tral Payeen and Irshad Ahmad Khan alias "Arkhan" of Lajoora, Pulwama.
While Dada and Shakoor were arrested, efforts are on to nab the other three who incidentally have "nothing against them with regard to militancy related violence", the spokesman added.